Ask Me
by Princess Tyler Briefs
Summary: After hanging out with Kakashi, lying comes easily to Iruka. One-sided KakaIru hinted at. Now: Part 3/3.
1. Ask Me

**A/N:** I wanted to use this as my Slash 100 'Lies' theme…only to realize that I've done it already! Doh! So, instead, it's a standalone one shot. Enjoy!

Inspired by one of my all time favorite songs, Taylor Swift's "I'd Lie".

**Disclaimer:** I am not Kishimoto, and that is becoming increasingly a good thing.

**Summary:** Hanging out with Kakashi, lying has become a second nature for Iruka. KakaIru.

_**Ask Me  
By: Reggie**  
Part 1/1_

He'd become friends with Kakashi soon after the Jounin had passed Team Seven—Iruka had gone to confront Kakashi about the whole thing only to find the point was now moot. They had pushed and pulled together, falling out and repairing that friendship more times than could possibly be healthy. Somewhere along the way, Iruka noticed, he'd picked up some of the Copy-nin's habits. He read some Icha Icha now, though never in public, he slouched more, and he'd started habitually lying.

He was grading papers out in the sunshine when Genma and Raidou decided to join him. The special jounin had made small talk with him at first before Genma got right to the point. He and Raidou had a bet about what color Kakashi's eyes were, as neither of them could remember, and since Iruka was the adult closest to Kakashi they'd decided to have him settle it. Which were they, grey or blue?

Neither of the men could adequately explain to him why it mattered, how the subject had come up, and Iruka hesitated before answering. After a moment of reflection, he affirmed they were blue.

He could not articulate why, but for whatever reason it mattered a great deal to him that neither of the pair knew that Kakashi's eyes were the brown of a cup of chai tea sitting in the shade.

Some weeks later, Naruto had sent him a letter asking if he could find out when Kakashi-sensei's birthday was. He wanted to send the man a present, to cheer him up and maybe make him feel a little less left behind since he and Sakura had surpassed him.

Iruka had shaken his head at that and, after a moment of contemplation written back that it was September 17th without the slightest hesitation in his hand. Kakashi told this to everyone but Iruka, because his father had died on Kakashi's real birthday on the 15th and he hated to remember that day. So, he'd made up a new one instead.

When Iruka and Sakura left from sitting at Kakashi's hospital bedside after he'd returned, further damaged, from a mission she had asked him sadly if Kakashi-sensei really didn't have any family left to care for him. Iruka had looked away and told her that he had a sister who lived far away, and was not a ninja, so he was not completely alone.

It had cheered her up, so Iruka felt a little justified.

Asuma had once asked him, his voice laden with irony, if Kakashi enjoyed what he did for a living—this business of killing people. Iruka had laughed, and firmly denied it because it felt like 'yes, he enjoys being a ninja, all of it, and he's really good at it' felt so very wrong.

One of the nurses at the hospital asked Iruka once if Kakashi was alright after Sasuke had gone, saying she'd heard him whispering the boy's name when he was unconscious. Iruka put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and promised her that Kakashi understood that he was not to blame for any of that.

He thought maybe she had seen through that one.

Several people asked him if he knew why Kakashi always wore that mask. It seemed to drive them crazy, having someone so secretive and yet so powerful living in their village. Iruka had smiled easily and told them all it was because Kakashi enjoyed driving them all crazy.

He would never tell the secret entrusted him; that Kakashi was only hiding his face from himself, so he would not have to see his father every time he happened to catch his reflection, and relive all that pain.

Kurenai once asked him if Kakashi had ever mentioned any of his favorite songs. Iruka had told her that Kakashi didn't even like music.

Having her know that Kakashi liked all kinds of music, that he could sing and well, made the chuunin's inside burn with inexplicable rage.

Tsunade had asked him once, off hand, if he happened to know Kakashi's favorite color, as Jiraiya wanted to know. He had told her green, this time because he didn't want to give Jiraiya the satisfaction of knowing that it was florescent orange. Kakashi could barely even see the color green anymore, but only the two of them knew that.

Shizune wanted to know why Kakashi-san was always late for things that were not of the highest priority, with the most bizarre excuses available. It was because Kakashi enjoyed seeing how long people would put up with him. Not because he had to lay his ghosts to rest every morning.

He and Kakashi were sitting at a bar, drinking more than they probably should and recounting the antics of students that Iruka had sent Kakashi's way. When Kakashi stood to go get more alcohol, Anko had slid into his place. She grinned at her childhood friend. "Are you having a good time Iruka? You look like you are. You always have such a good time with Kakashi, I'm starting to wonder if you aren't in love with him!"

Iruka had smiled, reflecting ruefully how easy this had become. "Of course I don't, Anko. What a silly thing to say."


	2. If I

**A/N:** 'Ask Me' was meant to be a one-shot, honest! But I had more than a few people beg me for Kakashi's view (I don't think they're content with one-sided), and I liked the idea so much I decided to give it a shot. Partly, I wanted to show that Iruka is only lying about things that Kakashi always does, except for the eye one and the having a family, to hopefully make his seem a little less possessively jealous.

For those wondering, I'm giving Kakashi a severe form of _deuteranomly_. If you want to know more about it, I suggest looking it up. It's interesting.

_**If I...  
By: Reggie**_

Sakura told him, every time they ran into each other, that Iruka-sensei was good for him. She maintained that he seemed to smile more after she'd seen them at lunch together, and that he read his porn less when Iruka-sensei was around. And this may have been true, he hadn't really noticed, but he had observed one phenomenon he could not explain. He could not, physically could not, lie to Iruka-sensei.

Not that he hadn't tried! It was an almost daily struggle to tell Iruka something, anything, that wasn't true. It was just that his mouth and his brain seemed to momentarily lose their connection around Iruka, for some scientifically unexplainable reason.

It started out stupid and simple. He'd shown up late for lunch with Iruka the very first day, after their confrontation on the practice field. Iruka had simply asked him why. Kakashi opened his mouth, ready to prepare his ridiculous excuse about an experimental jutsu that had made all the clocks in his apartment stop, only to have the truth tumble out. He'd been debating whether or not to bring ear plugs with him as he was scared Iruka was going to start yelling at him again.

Instead of getting upset, the Chuunin had just laughed. Kakashi had been furious with himself, and confused about the momentary lapse. Normally, he could lie to anyone, easily, and it was unlike his mouth to go on its own like that. He had, however, dismissed it as a momentary fluke.

A few weeks later, Iruka had wanted to know why he was always late to meet Team Seven. The explanation of his daily trips to the memorial stone and been projectile word-vomited out of his mouth—completely involuntary, no assent from his brain. He'd been furious with himself for revealing such a closely guarded secret, but the look on the Chuunin's face had quieted him. It wasn't disgust or pity, and it took Kakashi a moment to recognize. It was understanding.

Iruka had told him that he visited starting at nine Saturday morning and didn't leave until late, every week, and suddenly Kakashi didn't mind the lapse as much because he thought that maybe this was somebody who could finally get it.

They were nearly constantly fighting, often times in that childish way where hurtful things were used deliberately as weapons that mature adults in a—relationship?—should never use. But one or the other of them always apologized, and Kakashi found he was always relieved to have the Chuunin back because it was so refreshing to tell the truth sometimes.

Like when Sakura had wished him happy birthday, and Iruka had been insulted that Kakashi hadn't told him it was his birthday. The whole story of his father, of Minato-sensei playing along when Kakashi had started telling people his birthday was two days later than it really was, came spilling out. He'd never told anyone about this one, probably the biggest lie of his life, because everyone that absolutely needed to know always had before.

And Iruka hadn't said anything about it, except that he owed Kakashi a birthday present.

After Naruto had left, they had been discussing colors. Iruka told Kakashi that his favorite color was yellow, because it reminded him of sunshine. Kakashi had pulled out Icha Icha with a grin, pointed, and said that the cover was his favorite color. When Iruka had groaned and half-laughed, the Jounin felt the need to explain, for whatever reason, that his favorite color used to be green. But over the years the color had started to fade for him, along with red and purple, until the whole world was a shade of yellow, peach, or blue. Except for Icha Icha, which was such a painfully bright orange that he could figure out that that's what it was.

Almost immediately he'd regretted saying it. Admitting to being colorblind could easily cost him his job as a Shinobi. Almost as if reading his mind, Iruka had shrugged and simply stated that if Kakashi had survived this long that way he would probably continue to do so.

As far as Kakashi knew, Iruka had never told anyone about his handicap.

He was so used to telling Iruka the truth by now that Kakashi no longer bothered coming up with lies. Any question the Chuunin asked, and he never asked many, Kakashi would answer without hesitation. He never felt ashamed, either, when Iruka would hear him lying about the same thing to someone else later. Because Iruka was special, and Kakashi hoped the Chuunin understood that. No one else knew as much about the infamous Copy-Ninja as Iruka did, and Kakashi didn't know why but this seemed important.

Somewhere along the way, Iruka with his easy smiles, his understanding, his silent strength had become more important in Kakashi's life than any thing else. Because as long as Iruka was there and really knew him, the Jounin didn't have to be alone anymore. Wasn't alone anymore. Now that he had that he couldn't go back to being so totally isolated, but he knew that no one else could make him say the things Iruka did.

And Kakashi dreaded the day that Iruka would ask, he was sure he would eventually, what Kakashi felt about him. Because Kakashi didn't know if Iruka was interested in men, and he didn't know how strong Iruka's feelings were about himself, either. But he loved the Chuunin, everything about him, and never could lie to him.


	3. Love Him

**A/N:** The final part, just to satisfy everyone. I hope. This one is different from the other two as it's not almost completely an internal monologue. There are actual words and actions here.

_**Love Him**_

_**By: Reggie**_

Kakashi rolled his eye up from his page to Genma. The special Jounin had been standing there, staring at him in such a dumbfounded way, for a good twenty minutes now and it was really starting to annoy. He was starting to wonder if he'd forgotten to put on his mask this morning, or something. "Can I help you, Genma?"

The senbon wielder opened and shut his mouth a few times, swallowed, and then pointed one accusatory finger at the exposed section of Kakashi's face. "It's not blue!"

He had known Genma for several years now, but that ranked among the top ten weirdest things Kakashi had ever heard the other man say. He raised his eyebrow in obvious confusion, hoping the other man would get the message.

He did, and Kakashi could almost see him mentally backpedaling. "Raidou and I had a bet going about what color your eye was, we couldn't remember. You were out on a mission, so we asked Iruka and HE said that your eye was blue! I had to buy Raidou lunch for a week for that, but it's not blue or grey, it's brown."

Kakashi closed his book, mask obviously crinkling into a frown. Iruka knew what color his eyes were. They had even once pestered Ayame to tell them which of them had the brownest eyes until the poor girl had nearly died of embarrassment.

He knew that Iruka lied, sometimes. He'd confessed to telling Naruto his 'birthday', and telling Sakura that Kakashi had a sister somewhere to comfort the girl. And while he'd been a little angry about the latter, it had amused him that the Chuunin had felt the need to shield her still, he could even understand it a little, and he'd let it go.

But why lie to Genma and Raidou about something so ridiculous as his eye color?

Genma pulled the senbon out of his mouth so he could scowl properly. "Iruka owes me a week of lunches for this!"

Kakashi silently agreed.

The Jounin waited patiently outside the academy until it was nearing dusk, and fell into step beside Iruka as the other man started walking home. The Chuunin didn't look up from the book on the newest theory for henge teaching in his hand.

"What color are my eyes?" Kakashi asked, keeping his own book raised as though reading it, but really eyeing the other man closely.

Iruka didn't so much as twitch. "One is brown and the other red. Why? Did you forget?"

"Genma told me today that you told him and Raidou that my eye was blue."

Iruka stopped in his tracks, eyes ridiculously round. Kakashi continued a few paces as though he hadn't noticed before he turned to look at the Chuunin. Iruka looked away, a little color dusting his cheeks. He looked impossibly guilty.

Kakashi shut his book and dropped it down to his side. "Why?"

"I don't know." Iruka seemed honest, but Kakashi found himself suddenly questioning whether or not it was. If Iruka had lied about something that stupid, how often had he lied before?

Was this how people felt about him, when they asked Kakashi something? The idea bothered him, a little.

"I don't know," the chuunin repeated, staring down at his toes. "They couldn't tell me why they wanted to know besides some stupid bet, and I just…didn't want them to know. If they were being stupid, they didn't have the right."

Kakashi laughed, and was surprised how genuine it was. "Didn't have the right?"

Iruka made some indistinguishable noise that might have been an affirmative, and started walking again. "I never claimed to make sense."

This was true.

Kakashi fell in to step with the Chuunin again, but left didn't raise his book. "That's some of the oddest logic I've ever heard, though. How can someone have the right to know the color of someone's eyes?"

"It…I…" Iruka gestured helplessly at nothing. "They just seemed so ridiculous, I was insulted for you. Why should what color your eyes are be regular conversation? Why can't they just leave you alone?"

"I'm not sure whether to laugh at you or be grateful," Kakashi chuckled, mentally cursing again that open honesty that came so easily with Iruka.

"Maybe neither," the chuunin muttered miserably, turning the corner toward his apartment.

The sat in companionable silence again for a few blocks before Kakashi decided to speak again. "Do you lie for me often?"

Iruka's fingers and eyes twitched in an interesting way and he swallowed, hard. "No, not often. Just sometimes. I think you're wearing off on me."

"I never lie to you." Kakashi wasn't sure why he was so insulted, he just was. Everyone knew the Copy-ninja was a notorious liar, so he didn't even necessarily have to lie to Iruka for it to wear off. But if the Chuunin hadn't noticed that he'd never once told a lie in his presence…

"You're just so damn secretive all the time!" The younger man's scowl darkened considerably. "Even if you're not lying you don't volunteer what you're thinking! Even I can't figure out…what you think about some things."

Iruka was upset, but Kakashi could not figure out why. Shouldn't he be the one upset at Iruka for…for what? For not telling his secrets? None of this made sense. But Kakashi was upset about all of this, because he hadn't lied to Iruka and it hurt to think the Chuunin just might lie to him.

"You'd only have to ask me, you know." Icha Icha had been put away now, and Kakashi's fists were stuffed in his pockets. Why was he volunteering this weakness? "You could ask me anything, and I'd tell you the truth. You're important to me."

"How important?" They'd stopped walking again, and suddenly Iruka was all angry-but-frightened eyes and trembling hands that nearly dropped his book. "I need to know just how important, Kakashi."

He'd set himself up for this, Kakashi though ruefully. He'd been dreading it for so long that he'd walked right in to it. As usual when Iruka phrased anything as a question, his mouth worked on its own. "You are my most important person, Iruka-sensei. When I imagine coming home from a mission, it's you I picture, and you I want to reach safely."

This seemed to have floored the Chuunin, as he gaped open-mouthed for a little while. After a pause he closed it, and swallowed. The book was now clutched tight against his chest, almost a shield from whatever might come next. "Kakashi do you…do you love…"

"You." Kakashi closed his eye, not sure he had the courage to see how Iruka would react to that. "I love you. I'm not sure when it started but I…"

As it turned out, he didn't have to see, because all of the sudden Iruka was right. There. And the chuunin's arms were around his neck, pulling him down, and Iruka's lips were kissing him as best he could through the mask.

Kakashi wasn't sure whether he should keep breathing or just suffocate and die the happiest death available to him.

Iruka didn't seem to care that Kakashi hadn't attempted to kiss him back, and he clung to the Jounin's neck as he shook with laughter. "We're idiots. We're both such idiots. I lied because I loved you, and I couldn't help wanting to pretend you were mine to keep. And you told the truth to give yourself to me, didn't you?"

It had never been a conscious thought, no, but when Iruka said it that way it seemed true. Kakashi managed to work his arms around the smaller man and hug him tight. "I've heard that love makes everyone idiots."

The Chuunin snorted into Kakashi's chest, resting his warm forehead against the cool zipper. "I think it's the one thing that makes being an idiot seem not so bad."


End file.
